T. Sher Singh has been disbarred but says burnout had led him to leave the profession anyway. For him and other small-firm and sole practitioners, the underlying problems they face stem more from the nature of their practices than negligence.

In the ever-changing global economy, corporations in the U.S. and Canada are increasingly opening up offices in each other’s countries, which frequently requires transferring workers across the border. What are the speediest ways to secure work permits so employees can cross our so-called friendly borders?

There are certain labour and employment issues that can catch corporate counsel off guard. How do you accommodate an employee going through sex reassignment surgery? What about an employee with a substance abuse problem who is in denial? What do you do when former and current employees launch a class-action suit against your company?

In a tight legal market, where talent is hard to find, turnover costs can soar when a lawyer leaves your complement. What are the strategies for retaining people in an environment where advancement in the legal food chain is limited? What steps are general counsel taking to retain staff and advance their careers?

If Canada joins the international trademark registration system, the Madrid Protocol, it will significantly impact the nature of work at intellectual property firms. The Madrid Protocol is often touted as a cost effective, one-stop way for companies to obtain trademark protection in more countries, but adopting the system will be costly, will require massive changes to Canada’s trademark laws, and will only benefit a relatively small number of Canadian businesses, according to intellectual property lawyers.

As corporations tighten spending controls, more in-house counsel are using request for proposals to help them manage their everyday legal needs. It means making sure you put in place a workable RFP strategy.